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A Lesson In Victorian Etiquette According To The Manners Of A MerryMaid

Thursday, August 9, 2018

My dear friends,

Put the kettle on darlings, and let us commence with a delightful topic this morning. I am having green tea with a bit of coconut. I am most assuredly anticipating it will carry me through during the penning of this post. It has a bit of caffeine and I knowingly admit to partaking several cups before this day has come to an end.

I am at the deadline of my book, as it must be in the letterbox by days end.

Did I share with you what occurred and why I decided to get a formatting company to assemble my book? I shared a video on ye olde youtube channel. Swim to the link to uncover what transpired.

Have you signed up for my newsletter "The Current?" I do hope that you have. I will be drawing from my little fishers net to select a few winners to receive a gift basket of treasures. I am including my storybook, some reading paraphernalia, and a Scarlette Rose Lolly Dolly Merrymaid. Isn't she the most beautiful? She was made by my dear friend from the UK. Her name is Bridgette. I met Bridgette some time ago on Instagram. If you feel inspired send her some love. Her handle is @moetlala.

As you may know, if you follow me on social media, most particulary Instagram, that I have spent the last several weeks fiddling with some new ideas. A few of those particular bits are reintroducing the beautiful superfluous way the British spoke the Victorian language. I am in constant readiness to continually expand along my spiritual transformational tale. So just as my personal life is expanding, changing and growing expotentially, I too would love to carry along spiritually my little online piece of heaven. My blog makes me ever so happy. I feel like its a special place I come to daily and continually learn about myself. I love to revisit old diary entries so that I may encorporate the lessons into my daily life.

As I was telling you, I have been amassing my victorian books, adding many to my delightful collection. I shall share a few passages that I have found useful from The Essential Handbook of Victorian Etiquette that has served me most. If you favor victorian life, I highly recommend this handbook.

I wear dresses for my everyday attire, and I have become a maven when it comes to practicality, and how to wear a dress with etiquette.

When going to take care of bits, crossing the pavement or climbing steps a lady should raise her dress with the right hand, a little about the ankle. To raise the dress with both hands is considered vulgar and can only be excused when mud is very deep.

When I am about the garden, doing housework I wear a scarf or keep my hair in a lower bun about the nape of the neck. If I leave the cottage, I am always prepared with a scarf and a hat. If it is summer, it's a straw poke or cotton bonnet and a thin scarf. In a cooler climate, I wear a wrap made of wool. My hats are also made of wool or heavy knitting. I have a cotton loop with a button and a large pin that I secure my skirt on the side if I am engaged in a strenuous or untidy activity. Painting, climbing a ladder, cutting wood, carpentry, making candles, or cleaning the chicken coop, calls for a skirt pinning. I learned early on that everyone is capable of wearing a dress to perform any type of task. You actually get quite used to wearing a dress and I would bet once you've started wearing a dress, you'll never want to wear anything else.

When wearing a dress, and sitting down, slant one foot just slightly over the other at the ankle and tilt legs inward towards who you are engaged in conversation with. It creates an intimacy with the other person. Never cross your legs. To cross one's legs is considered vulgar, and varicose veins become inevitable. Hands are always to be clasped and set in your lap. Crossing arms means you are upset and disgruntled.

When in public or having company while partaking of tea, always look into your cup when sipping. It's considered highly rude to look about the room or at your guests while sipping tea. When raising your teacup, accompany the cup with saucer below, never picking up the teacup by itself. You appear undignified and without manners.

If you are issuing and accepting luncheon invitations, the invitations may be given by card, or even verbally. They should be delivered four days to two weeks in advance of the event. A lady that has been invited should accept immediately. It is not considered proper for ladies to remove jackets, hats, or bonnets at a luncheon. Tea or coffee are never served at or after a luncheon. A tea party is an entirely separate affair.

Tea parties are from the hours of 4-6 pm. Six ladies are the perfect number for a tea party. Its often time local custom for a lady to bring her own cup. If she does, it should be wrapped beautifully in a box and taken to the table where the tea is to be served.

I think I've allowed the time to run away dear friends. I surely hope with all my might this post served you and you found a few tips from the Victorians that you can use straight away. I am most anticipatory of hearing if you were able to incorporate any of my tips for your next affair.

I am mostly in admiration with the tea party and since the information is so deeply infused I shall create an entirely new post specifically for tea parties. I will accompany it with lovely photographs as well. I am certain it will be a popular entry.

If you delight in entertaining, I would suggest The Essential Handbook of Victorian Entertaining.

Once again dear friends If you haven't signed up for my newsletter, I'd be delighted if you would. I have a sign-up space to the right on the side panel or if you have read this post all the way through, a pop-up version should have appeared.

My book will be out within a few weeks and I could not be more ecstatic.